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The Epstein files’ Mexico connection: Former US ambassador responds to allegations

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Jeffrey Epstein
Files related to the Epstein case mention prominent names like Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim and several former presidents of Mexico. Some of the most serious allegations name Earl Anthony Wayne, a former U.S. ambassador to Mexico. (US Justice Department)

Among the many names mentioned in the latest batch of files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein is Earl Anthony Wayne, who served as the United States’ ambassador to Mexico from 2011 to 2015.

Very serious — but unverified — allegations are leveled against Wayne in a 2019 email written by a man called Kenneth Darrell Turner.

Earl Anthony Wayne
Recently released files show that a U.S. citizen contacted the FBI in 2019 to accuse former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Earl Anthony Wayne of participating in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking network. (Wikipedia)

Wayne said the allegations outlined below are false.

In the aforementioned email, which was sent to a law enforcement official in the United States, Turner — who indicated that he was based in Mexico — wrote that “you may want to question the Ex US Ambassador to Mexico; Mr. Earl Anthony Wayne about his involvement with an underage girl when he attended and was arrested by the Federal Police.”

Turner insinuated that the alleged arrest occurred at a 2014 party in the border city of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, that was allegedly organized by Epstein and Richard Marcinko, a former U.S. Navy SEAL commander who is now deceased. The party, he wrote, was held at a “US Consulate controlled housing facility.”

In the same email, Turner claimed that Wayne “was sentenced in Mexico in 2017 to a life sentence for impregnating an 11 year old girl” but that “an ex-US Marine” served the sentence in Wayne’s place as part of “an agreement worked out between our US State Dept and a judge in Mexico after a huge payoff.”

Wayne also appears in another Epstein files document released last Friday. According to the 2019 FBI document, which documents information provided by Turner to the FBI, Turner said the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City was raided by Mexican federal police in 2014 while Wayne was there.

“Turner said Ambassador Anthony left the country immediately; however, in 2015, Anthony was tried in absentia in Mexico,” the document states.

“Turner reached out to the American Embassy, but they refused to acknowledge what was going on. A month ago Turner and the Mexican Federal Police, found what Turner calls ‘a vault’ containing approximately 10,000 videos of minors,” it continues.

Mexico News Daily has not seen any information corroborating these claims.

Major Spanish-language newspapers including Clarin, Reforma, La Jornada and La Opinión  have reported on the unsubstantiated allegations Turner made against Wayne.

Marc Caputo, a White House reporter for the news website Axios, wrote on X that he asked Wayne about the allegations and the former ambassador denied them.

Wayne’s response to a reporter’s inquiry about Turner’s allegations against the former ambassador. (Marc Caputo/X)

Caputo published a screenshot of a message he received from Wayne.

“Dear Marc, I want to state unequivocally that the allegations about me are false,” the message says.

“The claims originate from a disjointed email chain that makes outlandish claims including international conspiracies and other events that demonstrably never happened, as they would have been matters of public record or reported in the media at the time they occurred, and they were not. These assertions are factually baseless and contradict established public record.”

Prior to serving as U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Wayne was the ambassador to Argentina between 2007 and 2009 and is now employed at American University in Washington, D.C.

Sheinbaum: Mexico will collaborate with US authorities if asked

A number of prominent Mexicans are mentioned in documents included in the Epstein files, including billionaire businessmen Carlos Slim and Ricardo Salinas, and former presidents Carlos Salinas de Gortari, Ernesto Zedillo and Felipe Calderón.

As the BBC reported, “there is no suggestion that appearing in the documents implies any wrongdoing.”

Calderón speaks at a conference
The names of several Mexican businessmen and three former Mexican presidents — including Felipe Calderón, pictured here — appear in the Epstein files. (File photo)

The U.S. Department of Justice released the largest batch of Epstein files to date last Friday. The New York Times described the batch as “a giant tranche including three million more pages of documents and thousands of videos and images.”

In a report published last Saturday, the newspaper Milenio wrote that “Jeffrey Epstein liked Mexico.”

“Or at least emails and documents reviewed by Milenio suggest that,” the report stated.

Those documents, Milenio wrote, “show recurrent visits to the country, conversations about business, references to local contacts [and] ‘very beautiful women,’ and mentions of social gatherings in tourism destinations.”

At President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Wednesday morning press conference, a reporter noted that various Mexicans appear in the Epstein files and asked the president whether an investigation would be opened “here in Mexico.”

“The investigation has to be opened in the United States, it’s an investigation in the United States,” Sheinbaum said.

“If the [U.S.] Department of Justice asks for Mexico’s collaboration, we will participate, but it’s an investigation that is taking place in the United States,” she said.

Mexico News Daily 

US court sentences son of El Chapo’s right-hand man to 5 years in prison

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Dámaso López Serrano
Dámaso López Serrano, once thought to be a successor to El Chapo, has been sentenced to five years in a U.S. prison for fentanyl trafficking. (X)

Dámaso López Serrano, a Sinaloa Cartel boss accused in Mexico of being the mastermind behind the 2017 murder of journalist Javier Valdez and a cooperating witness for the U.S. government, was sentenced on Wednesday to five years in prison by a U.S. federal court on charges of drug trafficking.

López pleaded guilty in the Eastern District Court of Virginia nine months ago to conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. 

Javier Valdez sature
López Serrano has been accused of masterminding the 2017 murder of internationally honored Mexican journalist Javier Valdez. (X)

Once seen as a contender to lead the Sinaloa Cartel, López was arrested in December 2024 in Virginia, where he was under house arrest.

López Serrano, aka “El Mini Lic,” is the son of Dámaso López Núñez, alias “El Licenciado,” the former right-hand man of Sinaloa Cartel founder Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Both “El Licenciado” and El Chapo are serving life sentences in U.S. prisons.

López Serrano’s story has taken several dramatic turns in the past decade. 

After the 2016 capture of El Chapo, a confrontation broke out between Guzmán’s sons and López Serrano for control of the Sinaloa Cartel, a battle that turned violent.

“El Mini Lic” voluntarily surrendered to U.S. authorities in the border city of Calexico, California, in July 2017, after another of the Sinaloa Cartel’s long-time leaders, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, reportedly ordered a hit on him. In January 2018, López pleaded guilty to “conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for the purpose of unlawful importation.”

During the 2018-2019 trial of El Chapo, “El Mini Lic” was one of the witnesses used by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

In 2022, López Serrano was set to be sentenced to six years for trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, but pleaded for leniency, declaring that he wanted to be “a different person than he was and start a new life.” 

The judge sentenced him to “time already served,” releasing him under the terms of five years of supervised probation, although the U.S. Department of Justice said it was still prosecuting him for other crimes.

By then, Mexican authorities had directly identified López Serrano as the mastermind of Valdez’s murder, issuing an arrest warrant against him in January 2020. 

Then came his arrest in 2024, the result of an FBI sting operation, and Mexico announced it would seek his extradition.

Griselda Triana — Valdez’s widow — criticized Judge Anthony Trenga’s sentencing decision in a Facebook post, saying the five-year sentence was nothing for the man who ordered the assassination of her husband.

“What are five more years to this murderer? Nothing, because at any moment he will negotiate his early release for good behavior as he did once before,” Triana said.

With reports from El País, N+, La Jornada, The Washington Post, InSight Crime and Latinus

Mexico, US work to develop action plan on critical minerals

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minerals
Over the next 60 days, the two countries will work to identify specific critical minerals, while considering price floors for imports to counteract dumping. (@RelExtDiputados/on X)

Mexico addressed a key issue ahead of the US-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement review, cobbling together an action plan for preferential trade with the U.S. in minerals deemed critical for the electronics and sustainable energy industries.

In a statement released Wednesday the Economy Ministry said the objective is “to ensure the supply of essential inputs for various key sectors of the industry, through binational cooperation.” 

ebraard and Greer
Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard, shown here with his negotiating partner USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer, noted that the United States and Mexico are highly integrated: “We have to support each other.” (@RelExtDiputados)

Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said talks with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) will continue within a framework of respect and adherence to the legislation of both countries.

“Since we are highly integrated with the United States, we have to support each other,” Ebrard said. “All cooperation efforts will be carried out within the framework of our sovereignty and with respect for our Constitution.”

For its part, the USTR said it will work to develop coordinated trade policies and mechanisms that mitigate critical mineral supply chain vulnerabilities, with the goal of ensuring the mutual resilience of supply chains.

“This work will include identifying specific critical minerals of interest, exploring adjusted minimum border prices for imports of critical minerals, and consulting on how to incorporate such minimum prices into a binding plurilateral trade agreement,” the USTR explained in a brief statement.

Minerals labeled “critical” are essential for the digital device manufacturing industry, as well as for the production of electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines. Some of the most fundamental critical minerals are lithium, cobalt, and aluminum (used in batteries), plus copper, silver and nickel (in electronics).

This announcement came just over a week after Mexico and the U.S. agreed to begin formal discussions as part of the review of the USMCA.

Over the next 60 days, the two countries will work to identify specific critical minerals, while considering price floors for imports, in order to counteract dumping practices or disguised subsidies.

The plan also allows for these price floors to be incorporated into a binding trade agreement in which other allied countries could participate.

The action plan includes other measures such as regulatory standards for mining and processing, technical cooperation, promotion and evaluation of investments, and coordinated responses to supply crises of critical minerals.

Among the commitments made are coordination in geological mapping, the promotion of research and development of new technologies, the creation of strategic storage mechanisms and the exchange of information between entities such as the U.S. Geological Survey and the Mexican Geological Service.

With reports from El Financiero and El País

Pemex debt hits lowest level in over a decade at $84.5 billion

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A Pemex oil truck
Mexico's state oil company Pemex's massive debt dropped over 13% compared to 2024, bringing it to its lowest level in 11 years. (Fernando Carranza García/Cuartoscuro)

Pemex’s debt is at its lowest level in 11 years, the state oil company’s CEO said Wednesday.

At the end of 2025, Pemex’s debt was an estimated US $84.5 billion, according to data presented by Víctor Rodríguez Padilla at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference.

The company’s debt declined 13.4% compared to the end of 2024 and 20.1% compared to the end of 2018.

Former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office in December 2018, and in early 2019 unveiled a rescue plan for Pemex, whose debt at the time was well above $100 billion.

Referring to the years between 2007 and 2018, Rodríguez told reporters that Pemex’s debt increased 129% during the “neoliberal period.”

“This trend has been reversed,” the Pemex CEO said.

He highlighted that the state oil company’s debt has declined by $20 billion compared to 2018, attributing the reduction to “financial discipline, rigorous planning, operational efficiency and close coordination with the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, and the Energy Ministry.”

With those two ministries, “we drew up the 2025-2035 strategic plan and the Comprehensive Capitalization and Financing Strategy,” Rodríguez said.

“The result of this joint work is … [that] currently the financial debt [of Pemex] is the lowest it has been in the past 11 years,” he said.

Pemex’s debt reached a peak of $113.2 billion in 2020, according to the data presented by Rodríguez. However, debt declined in each of the five subsequent years.

Rodríguez highlighted that Pemex’s credit ratings with major rating agencies had been upgraded “for the first time in 11 years,” reflecting “the credibility and confidence in the actions adopted to guarantee the sustainability of our beloved oil company.”

Among the objectives of the 10-year strategic plan presented last August are for Pemex to achieve oil production of 1.8 million barrels per day, increase natural gas production and support renewable energy initiatives.

‘Financial engineering’ helped reduce Pemex’s debt, says analyst 

The reduction of Pemex’s debt was related to “various liability management operations,” the El Economista newspaper reported.

Among those operations, El Economista reported, were the “issuance of pre-capitalized notes (P-Caps), that allowed liabilities to be exchanged for cheaper debt” and “the repurchasing of bonds and the issuance of new securities for more than $13 billion in order to soften the maturity profile.”

Pemex Director Víctor Rodríguez Padilla
Pemex Director Víctor Rodríguez Padilla credited the progress to financial discipline, planning and improved efficiency. (Saúl López Escorcia/Presidencia)

Gonzalo Monroy, director of the energy consultancy GMEC, told the Reforma newspaper that while Pemex’s debt declined, a mechanism was used that replaced some of the company’s debt with public debt.

Víctor Gómez Ayala, director of analysis at the Finamex brokerage house, told Reforma that the improvement in Pemex’s finances is the result of “financial engineering” that caused a deterioration in the federal government’s financial position.

Pemex paid more than 390 billion pesos to suppliers in 2025 

Rodríguez described Pemex’s “payment to suppliers” as “another key element” in the “financial strengthening” of the state oil company.

“In September 2025, the Investment Financing Program was implemented in coordination with the National Bank of Public Works and Services and the Finance Ministry. With this program and resources generated by the company, payments to suppliers reached more than 390 billion pesos [US $22.37 billion],” he said, referring to the figure for the entirety of 2025.

“This inter-institutional initiative has made it possible to normalize … [payments to suppliers], strengthen production chains and regain the trust of thousands of companies that work with Pemex across the entire country,” Rodríguez said.

The data he presented showed that Pemex’s outlay on payments to suppliers actually decreased last year, even though the CEO indicated that the company is doing a better job in meeting its obligations. For years, Pemex has struggled to pay suppliers in a timely manner.

Pemex’s production increased in 2025

Rodríguez presented data that showed that Pemex produced an average of 1.8 million barrels of “liquid hydrocarbons” per day in December, up from 1.678 million barrels per day in the first month of last year.

“In annual terms, national production increased by more than 122,000 barrels per day,” the CEO said.

The Olmeca refinery in Dos Bocas, Veracruz.
Olmeca Refinery in Dos Bocas, Veracruz — a project of former President López Obrador — was inaugurated in 2022 and slowly ramped up production in the following years. (Wikimedia Commons)

He said that Pemex also made improvements to its infrastructure and “optimized” the operation of its refineries.

“The processing of crude reached 1.5 million barrels per day, taking into account the Deer Park refinery” in Texas, Rodríguez said.

“The Tula and Dos Bocas [Olmeca] refineries stand out for the volume [of crude they] processed: up to 280,000 barrels and 320,000 barrels per day, respectively,” he said.

Rodiguez asserted that the refining of oil is “a profitable business for the benefit of the people of Mexico,” telling reporters that Pemex has an average profit margin of $12 per barrel.

Pemex has seven refineries in Mexico as well as the facility in Deer Park, Texas.

Mexico is aiming to achieve self-sufficiency for gasoline, but failed to achieve the 2023 target set by López Obrador.

Sheinbaum: ‘Pemex has recovered’

President Sheinbaum said that refining more oil in Mexico “creates sovereignty because gasoline used to be imported [in greater quantities].”

“That is very important. Processing oil in Mexico is fundamental,” she said.

President Sheinbaum gestures at a bar graph
After five years of steady progress on debt reduction, President Sheinbaum declared that the state oil company has officially recovered. (Saúl López Escorcia/Presidencia)

“Secondly, the public company has recovered. They dedicated 36 years to trying to disappear Pemex,” Sheinbaum said, referring to governments in the period between 1982 and 2018.

“But today Pemex has recovered,” she said.

According to estimations from the Center for Economic Budget and Research, a think tank, the federal government allocated more than $137 billion to the rescue of Pemex between 2019 and 2025.

Despite that investment, Pemex’s debt “only” declined by $20 billion in that period, the Reforma newspaper pointed out.

With reports from El Financiero, La Jornada, El Economista, Reforma and El País

Volaris launches 33 new flights, deepening Mexico-US connectivity ahead of the World Cup

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A Volaris airplane on an aiprot runway
The 33 new flights are now on sale and will begin operating in June. (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Low-cost Mexican airline Volaris announced a significant expansion of its network with 33 new routes that will begin operating from June 2026, combining domestic flights within Mexico and direct connections to the United States.

The carrier’s expansion includes 11 international routes and 22 domestic routes, as well as the starting of operations in four new airports. These airports include Detroit (DTW) and Salt Lake City (SLC) in the U.S. as well as Saltillo (SLW) and Reynosa (REX) in Mexico.

A flight map shows dozens of flights, mostly within Mexico with several to Los Angeles, Dallas and other US cities
Volaris has launched 11 new flight routes connecting Mexico to the U.S., including its first flights to Utah and Detroit. (Volaris)

Volaris said it will also increase connectivity from key airports such as Puebla (PBC), Querétaro (QRO) and San Luis Potosí (SLP), in addition to a significant expansion of its network from Guadalajara (GDL), which will add seven new routes.

“This expansion strengthens the role of our regional airports as engines of economic and tourism development, by connecting dynamic markets with a low fare offer that drives demand and benefits more communities,” Holger Blankenstein, executive vice president of Volaris said.

What are the new routes?

The airline will offer eight new routes from Guadalajara, including Querétaro, Reynosa, San Luis Potosí, Saltillo and Zacatecas in Mexico, and to Detroit and Salt Lake City in the U.S. 

New destinations from San Luis Potosí include Monterrey and Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, and Chicago in the U.S.

Querétaro added 10 new routes, including Acapulco, Durango, Mazatlán, Oaxaca and Veracruz in Mexico, and Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, Orlando and San Antonio in the U.S.

Meanwhile, twelve new routes were announced from Puebla, including Aguascalientes, Huatulco, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Tuxtla Gutiérrez and Villahermosa in Mexico, as well as Houston, Los Angeles and Newark in the U.S.

The new routes will start operations the first week of June, aligning with the summer season and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which expects to bring over 5 million travelers to Mexico.

With reports from A21 

El Jalapeño: Trump accuses Mexico of ‘weaponizing sovereignty’ threatens tariffs on hard taco shells until further notice

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All stories in El Jalapeño are satire and not real news. Check out the original article here.

Precisely one minute and 17 seconds after calling Claudia Sheinbaum “a wonderful and highly intelligent leader,” Donald Trump returned to Truth Social to say pretty much the exact opposite in an about-face that surprised absolutely no one.

In a late-night post, Trump also said he would impose tariffs on all machinery made in Mexico as well as Mexican hard taco shells unless “WE make a TREMENDOUS DEAL!”

Trump
(X)

His rationale for the duties was Mexico’s overuse of the word “sovereignty,” which Trump said is his least favorite word in the dictionary.

Under intense pressure from Mexico’s sole hard taco manufacturer — which said there is no domestic demand for their product — Sheinbaum scrambled to speak to Trump and finally succeeded in getting the U.S. president on the line.

She succeeded in staving off the tariff threat by pledging to limit her use of the word “sovereignty” to 10 times per mañanera, promising to deploy an additional 10,000 troops to the northern border area and assuring the president that at least 10 million “baby Trump dolls” will be inserted into Rosca de Reyes ahead of Three Kings Day 2027.    

“Just spoke to Mexico’s marvelous and very smart leader,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“She kindly compared me to Jesus and WE agreed to delay the planned tariffs until such time as Taco Bell invests BILLIONS OF DOLLARS in its own hard shell taco plants in the USA!”

Check out our Jalapeño archive here.

Got an idea for a Jalapeño article? Email us with your suggestions!

What’s on this February in the Riviera Maya and Yucatán

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Riviera Maya
February, like virtually every other month, is a great time to visit the Riviera Maya. (Dayana Brooke)

Lovebirds, we’ve got some truly unique once-in-a-lifetime Valentine’s Day experiences this month in the Riviera Maya, plus sparkles, sequins and dancing in the street for Carnival. So grab your best garb and feathered headdresses. Or enjoy a quieter creative pursuit like a painting class with an Italian artist. 

And for the rockers, we’ve got a treat: A heavy metal legend is coming to Cancún. 

Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens comes to Cancún

Tim Ripper Owens
Heavy metal fans can enjoy Tim “Ripper” Owens on the Riviera Maya this month. (Facebook)

In February 2026, Tim “Ripper” Owens will return to Mexico for a series of must-see live shows. 

Known as one of the most powerful voices in heavy metal, Owens will deliver a performance celebrating the key moments of his career: his era with Judas Priest, his intense work with Iced Earth, his recent success with KK’s Priest, and highlights from his solo releases.

This is a show entirely dedicated to him — his legacy, his voice and his unstoppable energy. A truly special night for metal fans in Mexico.

Date: Feb. 5 at 1 p.m.

Location: McCarthy’s Cancún

Cost: Free

Movies under the stars

Movies under the stars Riviera Maya
Movies on the big screen with an even bigger backdrop. (Eventbrite)

I love a thrilling adventure with plenty of twists and turns in the storyline to keep me guessing. So, what better way to watch “Now You See Me” than with gourmet popcorn under the stars? Enjoying a magician’s antics in an open-air cinematic experience on a rooftop, all the while reclining on a pillowy lounge, is just the thing for a Saturday movie night. 

Date: Feb. 7 at 7 p.m.

Location: La Veleta, Tulum

Cost: 649 pesos, popcorn included

300 Championship League — Muay Thai

300 Championship League
Muay Thai action comes to the Riviera Maya courtesy of the 300 Championship League. (Eventbrite)

Martial arts and fight fans, this one is for you. Get ready to witness electrifying Muay Thai battles at the 300 Championship League, where legends are born and champions clash live!

Amateur and semiprofessional categories show passion and competitive spirit in showstopping athleticism. Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or a true action enthusiast, this event is designed to deliver intense bouts, maximum excitement and unforgettable moments.

Date: Feb. 7 at 5–11:30 p.m.

Location: Hunab Lifestyle Center, Tulum

Cost: 270 pesos

Carnaval Cozumel 2026

Carnival Cozumel 2026
Who doesn’t love parties and costumes, especially when free? (Facebook)

My favorite event of the year. Grab your dancing shoes, and get ready for the glitz and glamor of Cozumel’s annual Carnival celebration: Sparkling dancers and devilishly good costumes, huge feather headdresses and sequins in the streets. 

Enjoy the weeklong festivities of parades and shows, all free, in various locations around Cozumel. It’s fantastic fun for the whole family. 

Dates: Feb. 11–15 

Location: Cozumel

Cost: free

Painting class with an Italian artist

Painting classes Riviera Maya
Learning painting from an Italian artist is one of the best events on tap this month in the Riviera Maya. (Eventbrite)

This one is right up my alley. An intimate art class in an Italian artist’s private studio — yes, please! Plus, everything is included: the canvas, paints and materials. 

All the while, amazing artist Corinna Carrara will help your creativity flow to allow you to create a unique and meaningful work. The perfect keepsake to take home after being guided step-by-step through the process. 

Date: Feb. 12 at 10 a.m.

Location: Casa Cora, Tulum

Cost: 550 pesos

Luxury cenote cinema experience

Movie in a cenote
If you love movies under the stars, wait until you watch one in a cenote. (Eventbrite)

I can’t think of a more unique and romantic setting for a Valentine’s movie date than this! Champagne, artisan popcorn and a stunning cenote private setting — ooh la la. Now, that’s a movie date! 

Sip champagne and recline in comfy lounges to watch your movie of choice while enoying your own artisanal pizza. Add private shuttle service and a cocktail, and it’s a truly special Valentine’s movie date. 

Date: Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. 

Location: Amares Riviera Maya, 

Cost: 3,189 pesos per person

ZoukMX 2026

ZoukMx
DJs and dance distinguish ZoukMX. (Eventbrite)

Celebrate their 11th year in Mexico. ZoukMX has created a unique experience, making an ultimate beach vacation mixed with a dance festival. Join some of the world’s best DJs as they escape the winter in Playa del Carmen and provide the soundtrack for a month-long zouk dance experience. 

Take classes, get a month of training or just turn up for the Jungle Lagoon festival at the end. Any way you choose to enjoy it, it will be amazing.

Date: Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. Or, if you miss it: February 23 at 12 p.m.

Location: Playa del Carmen

Cost: 250 pesos for the Jungle Lagoon festival. See their website for the month-long training.

5th Mexican Caribbean Gastronomic Festival

food fest Cozumel
The dishes of Quintana Roo are on display at the 5th annual Gastronomic Festival in Cozumel.

Dive into the world of Mexican Caribbean cuisine! From jungle to reef, discover the authentic flavors and dishes of Quintana Roo. 

Every corner of this Caribbean paradise is represented, featuring local products, handicrafts and an extensive cultural program. The  Fifth Mexican Caribbean Gastronomy Festival is one you’ll want to check out.

Dates: Feb. 21-22 from 4–10 p.m.

Location: Downtown San Miguel de Cozumel (ferries from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel every half hour)

Cost: Free

Mexico Correspondent for International Living, Bel is an experienced writer, author, photographer and videographer with 500+ articles published both in print and across digital platforms. Living in the Mexican Caribbean for over 7 years now, she’s in love with Mexico and has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon.

BBC correspondent presses Sheinbaum on violence in Sinaloa: Wednesday’s mañanera recapped

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CIUDAD DE MÉXICO, 04FEBRERO2026.- Claudia Sheinbaum walks into her daily press conference
Sheinbaum faced several questions about her administration's strategy to reduce violence before she again presented graphics touting a recent decline in homicides. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

The security situation in Sinaloa and U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that “the cartels are running Mexico” were among the topics President Claudia Sheinbaum discussed at her Wednesday morning press conference.

Here is a recap of the president’s Feb. 4 mañanera.

‘Our policy is not military confrontation’

An international correspondent from the BBC told Sheinbaum that he spent the last week in Sinaloa. He noted that “despite an enormous military presence” in the state, “there is appalling violence every day.”

“Murders, assassinations, terrible mutilations. What’s it going to take for your government to bring that violence under control?” asked Quentin Sommerville.

“The number of homicides has declined,” Sheinbaum responded, although Sinaloa was one of just six Mexican states that recorded more murders last year than in 2024.

“… In recent months, we managed to reduce, maintain, the number of homicides,” she said.

Sheinbaum explained that the high levels of violence in Sinaloa in recent times were  triggered by the “splitting” of a criminal group (the Sinaloa Cartel) after one of its “bosses” (Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada) was arrested in the United States (following his alleged kidnapping by one of the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán).

“That caused an internal battle,” she said, referring to the bloody war between the “Los Chapos” and “Los Mayos” factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.

“What do we do? We seek to avoid an impact on civilians, on the [ordinary] people [of Sinaloa],” Sheinbaum said.

Government deploys 1,600 troops to Sinaloa following attack on legislators

“Our policy is not military confrontation because that was already tried in Mexico, between 2006 and 2012, and what it created was a lot more violence,” she said, referring to the militarized war on drug cartels that was launched by former president Felipe Calderón shortly after he took office in December 2006.

“What we seek is the arrest, within the framework of the law, of [members of] criminal groups,” Sheinbaum said.

“… And at the same time, attend to the causes [of crime], so that young people don’t take an interest in [joining] criminal groups,” she said, noting also that Mexico has asked the United States to do more to stop the southward flow of weapons to cartels.

Sheinbaum also said that the quantity of drugs being produced in Sinaloa has declined because authorities have dismantled a large number of clandestine drug labs in the state.

Sheinbaum: US has respected Mexico’s sovereignty ‘so far’

Asked whether a reduction in the flow of fentanyl to the United States from Mexico will be “enough to stop President Trump taking direct military action against the cartels on Mexican soil,” Sheinbaum pointed out that “so far, there has been respect” of Mexico’s sovereignty by the U.S. government.

“And they’ve seen the results that we’ve had,” said the president, who outlined those results to Trump in a telephone call last month.

“… There will continue to be respect because we are neighboring nations and this mutual respect has to be maintained,” Sheinbaum said.

After her Jan. 12 call with Trump, Sheinbaum said that a U.S. “military action” against cartels in Mexico could be ruled out. Four days earlier, Trump said the United States was going to start “hitting” Mexican cartels on land.

Sheinbaum: ‘It’s false’ that cartels run Mexico

Sommerville said it was clear that Sheinbaum and Trump “have a good personal relationship,” but asked the president whether it was “respectful” for the U.S. president to say “you don’t run this country, the cartels do.”

“It’s false,” Sheinbaum said, reiterating her rejection of a claim Trump has made on several occasions.

“That doesn’t mean that we don’t speak respectfully,” she said.

Sheinbaum noted that the White House, shortly after Trump began his second term, released a statement “related to organized crime in Mexico, in the sense you mention.”

She was referring to a White House “fact sheet” issued on Feb. 1, 2025, that asserts that “the Mexican drug trafficking organizations have an intolerable alliance with the government of Mexico,” and that “the government of Mexico has afforded safe havens for the cartels to engage in the manufacturing and transportation of dangerous narcotics.”

Sheinbaum displayed a Feb. 1, 2025, post to X by the White House that similarly said that Mexican “cartels have an alliance with the government of Mexico.”

Sheinbaum Feb. 4, 2026
Sheinbaum reiterated on Wednesday that the fact that the Trump administration claims that cartels run Mexico “doesn’t mean that we don’t speak respectfully.” (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

She noted that the White House, on X, provided a “piece of evidence” for its claim in the form of a screenshot of an Associated Press article on the sentencing in the United States of former security minister Genaro García Luna, who, in early 2023, was found guilty of colluding with the Sinaloa Cartel.

“Do you know what the piece of evidence they presented is? García Luna, … the security minister of Felipe Calderón, who today is imprisoned in the United States,” Sheinbaum said.

“They were wrong by how many [years]? Six years of [Enrique] Peña [Nieto], six years of AMLO, … 12 years at least, 13 years,” she said.

While the White House posted a screenshot of the AP article about García Luna to X, it made no mention of the former security minister in the “fact sheet” it released on Feb. 1.

The fact sheet, as noted above, asserts that “Mexican drug trafficking organizations have” — present tense — “an intolerable alliance with the government of Mexico.”

Sheinbaum responded to the claim the same day.

“We categorically reject the libel the White House makes against the government of Mexico,” she wrote on social media on Feb. 1, 2025.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

Will Sheinbaum’s electoral reform block organized crime from funding Mexico’s political parties?

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OAXACA DE JUÁREZ, OAXACA, 25ENERO2025.- Decenas de personas acuden a votar en la jornada de Revocación de Mandato a la que se somete la administración del gobernador de Oaxaca, Salomón Jara Cruz. Para este ejercicio se instalaron 2 mil 815 casillas en todo el estado, sin instalación de casillas especiales. El padrón electoral de Oaxaca es de más de 3 millones de votantes.
President Sheinbaum's soon-to-be-made-public electoral reform includes measures to increase oversight of campaign financing, but the opposition warns they will have the opposite effect. (Carolina Jiménez Mariscal/Cuartoscuro)

President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday that her as-yet undisclosed electoral reform proposal will help stamp out the funding of political parties by organized crime groups, which have long injected money into election campaigns in Mexico.

At her morning press conference, Sheinbaum was asked whether the reform proposal she intends to submit to Congress this month will “shield” elections in Mexico from organized crime money.

“Yes,” the president responded, explaining that her reform proposal will seek to enable “more oversight” of campaign funding.

Sheinbaum said her reform proposal will not only seek to reduce the cost of holding elections, but also exert tighter control over how parties use their funds, which, by law, primarily come from the state.

A reporter from the newspaper El Financiero asked the president whether reducing the amount of money used to stage elections and to fund political parties wouldn’t “increase the incentive” for funding from organized crime groups.

“No, no,” Sheinbaum responded.

Asked what other “measures” would need to be taken to stop organized crime groups from funding political parties, the president only replied that her reform proposal will soon be made public.

She said that her goal is to have the reform proposal ready for next week, before assuring reporters that she will send it to Congress this month.

How Sheinbaum plans to reshape Mexico’s elections: Friday’s mañanera recapped

Sheinbaum expressed confidence that the Morena party’s allies, the Labor Party and the Green Party, will support her proposal, ensuring its passage through both houses of Congress.

She said last month her proposal would aim to increase “citizen participation” in various facets of Mexico’s democracy.

“People should express their opinions and participate, that’s democracy,” said Sheinbaum, who also said that her proposal would aim to make it easier for Mexicans abroad, especially those in the United States, to “exercise their right to vote.”

She also asserted that the National Electoral Institute — the authority responsible for organizing elections in Mexico and the nation’s electoral umpire — will not lose its autonomy as a result of the reform, as opposition politicians have claimed.

Narco money in Mexican politics 

Jorge Álvarez Máynez, the national coordinator of the Citizens’ Movement party and a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, wrote on social media last month that “the most serious problem” related to elections in Mexico today is “the illegal and criminal financing of politics.”

“This is where organized crime’s territorial and institutional control over much of the country comes from. That should be the main focus of an [electoral] reform,” he wrote.

In a 2020 academic paper titled “Illegal financing of political campaigns in Mexico,” Luis Carlos Ugalde, president of Mexico’s Federal Electoral Institute between 2003 and 2007, wrote that organized crime is a “recurrent contributor” to political parties “in certain regions of the country.”

“… This kind of financing occurs in certain areas of the country where drug trafficking has a greater presence. It generally occurs at the municipal level and its objective is to control the territory so that criminals can continue to carry out their illicit activities,” he wrote.

In a 2024 article published by the Wilson Center, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, Mexico expert María Calderón identified “the rapidly increasing involvement of criminal groups in election finances through illicit campaign funding” as a major concern in Mexico.

“Criminal groups demand that ‘investments’ in electoral campaigns bestow advantages over competitors or, more clearly, demarcate lines of territorial control. Problems arise when their demands are unmet,” she wrote.

In 2024, ProPublica, Deutsche Welle and Insight Crime all published reports that said that people working for former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s unsuccessful 2006 presidential election campaign received between US $2 million and $4 million from drug traffickers affiliated with the Beltrán-Leyva Organization and the Sinaloa Cartel.

López Obrador described the reports as “completely false.”

PAN: Sheinbaum’s electoral reform aims to ‘formalize narco-politics’

Although Sheinbaum’s reform proposal has not yet been publicly disclosed, the National Action Party (PAN) released a statement last month under the title:

“Morena’s electoral reform seeks to formalize narco-politics, the PAN challenges President Sheinbaum to block illegal money.”

The Jan. 25 statement noted that PAN national president Jorge Romero Herrera told a press conference that “reducing public funding [of political parties] and weakening electoral controls without strengthening oversight does not clean up politics, but rather normalizes criminal money in campaigns.”

“When illegal money reaches power, justice comes to a halt. Reducing electoral controls in this context is to formalize organized crime’s interference in campaigns,” Romero said.

Similarly, the consultancy firm Integralia said in a recent report that reducing public funding of political parties could lead to greater “illegal financing” of election campaigns.

Rosario Robles — a cabinet minister in the 2012-18 government of former president Enrique Peña Nieto — also believes that an electoral reform that entails a reduction in spending on elections, including by cutting funding for political parties, will result in more financing from organized crime groups, unless other measures are taken to stamp the scourge out.

“Make elections cheaper? For what? So that organized crime continues financing campaigns?” Robles, who in 2023 was absolved of charges related to a major embezzlement case, said at an event in Acapulco on Wednesday.

“There is already illegal financing … and illicit resources that go into electoral processes,” she said.

“… We cannot normalize organized crime deciding who governs or who dies,” Robles said.

With reports from El Financiero and Quadratín

GAP, the airport operator, is expanding its 12 terminals, including Vallarta, Guadalajara, Los Cabos and Tijuana

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an airport
GAP will invest 8 billion pesos ($463 million) in the Los Cabos and La Paz airports in Baja California Sur, GAP’s CEO, Raúl Revuelta, announced in a Tuesday press conference. (GAP)

Mexican airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP) expects 40% growth by 2030 as it continues a major 52 billion-peso (US $3 billion) expansion and improvement program.

Through its 2025-2030 Master Development Plan (PMD), GAP will be expanding its 12 airport terminals, growing its overall infrastructure by 58%. By the end of 2029, its four largest airports — Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, Tijuana and Los Cabos — will have expanded by 134%, 91%, 47% and 37% in square meters, respectively. 

guadalajara airport
Guadalajara International Airport has already been undergoing major reconstruction in preparation for the upcoming World Cup, but those improvements are just the beginning of GAP’s long-term plans for the airport. (Cuartoscuro)

GAP plans to allocate 13 billion ($752 million) of the 52 billion pesos in 2026.

The firm will invest a projected 26 billion pesos ($1.5 billion) in Mexico’s western Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta airports, 11.4 billion pesos ($659 million) in the U.S. gateway airports of Tijuana and Mexicali, and 8 billion pesos ($463 million) in the Los Cabos and La Paz airports in Baja California Sur, GAP’s CEO, Raúl Revuelta, announced in a Tuesday press conference. 

“We want modern infrastructure that develops connectivity, improves the passenger experience and incorporates new technologies such as facial recognition and license plate reading for ticketless parking,” said Revuelta. 

GAP will equip Tijuana airport with a Category 2 Instrument Landing System in June, allowing aircraft to land safely in low-visibility conditions. Felipe Ángeles International Airport and Toluca International Airport are currently the only Mexican airports with this technology. 

Revuelta expects the investments to grow GAP’s passenger numbers to up to 85 million a year by 2030, across its airports in Mexico and Jamaica, compared to 66 million in 2025. The jump will be mostly driven by increased passenger traffic at Guadalajara airport, particularly during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as well as the tourism boom in beach destinations.

“We are seeing that the tourism sector is driven by hotel room construction, and that is happening [in] Los Cabos, La Paz and Puerto Vallarta,” Revuelta told the newspaper El Financiero.

While travel demand from the United States has waned due to the Trump administration’s strict immigration policies, Canadian tourism to Mexico has grown over the last year, as Canadians look to alternative North American sun-and-sea destinations. 

“It was an opportunity for the Canadian market to take notice of us more aggressively,” said Revuelta.

That notice was demonstrated recently at the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) in Madrid, Spain, where Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda secured the upcoming launch of a new Tijuana-Vancouver air route.

With reports from El Financiero, Reforma, T21 and La Jornada